Don't Be a Dick
Why would anyone choose violence over this?
When I moved to New Zealand from the US in 2004, I knew things would be different.
The sports were different.
The driving rules were different.
The seasons took place at different times of the year!
But I wasn’t prepared for the way communication would be different.
For starters, New Zealanders have expressions that I call “unfinished similes.”
Things were “sweet as”, “good as”, “tired as” and so on.
The laid back Kiwi mentality meant one didn’t have to be troubled to come up with a comparison of what something was as sweet, good, or tired as.
Just throw in your adjective and add “as” after it. People will understand.
And I also learned that Kiwis used words I knew, but in a different way.
The dairy was a convenience store (not a place where you’d find cows).
A jumper was a sweater, not an ill-fitting dress worn by a kindergarten teacher.
And calling someone a “dick” didn’t have the same bite that it did in America.
When I was in high school and college in the US, the word “dick” was like a jerk, but worse. More like a synonym for a-hole.
Example: “Mike cheated on Tammy. He’s such a dick.”
But in New Zealand, dick was used to mean “idiot” – much softer, and used freely.
I don’t know if “dick” has evolved to this definition everywhere, but that’s how I use it now.
But when I read something a CEO posted on LinkedIn last week, I wasn’t sure which definition of “dick” was more appropriate.
See for yourself:
This post was shared by a CEO on LinkedIn (and later deleted)
Really? You’re going to choose violence over a yahoo account?
Now – to be fair – having a hotmail, yahoo, or AOL email address doesn’t scream “cutting edge” – but is it really a reason to ax someone?
I’d be more concerned about mikerules69@gmail then mikejones@hotmail.
Maybe a candidate doesn’t send a lot of personal emails.
Maybe they communicate by text or phone.
Who cares?
Both hotmail and gmail accounts allow you to send and receive emails, which is the point.
Will you regret your decision to hire an employee if they want to be paid in a traditional bank account rather than a cool fintech?
People are being judged by so many things on their CV/resume – their name, where they live, where they went to school, where they worked before…
They’re judged on their spelling, their grammar, and the presentation of their work experiences.
And when you meet a job candidate in person, you may judge them on their accents, their clothing, and their overall appearance.
If I wear glasses, will you assume I’m smarter – or too serious?
If I carry a designer bag or wear a nice suit, does that indicate some level of financial success, or the desire to be seen as successful?
If I mention having children, what assumptions will you make about me?
There are many reasons job applicants get discarded, but throwing someone out for having an “old” email address seems to indicate something else – ageism.
A 20-something is probably not going to have a hotmail account.
But a 40 or 50-year-old applicant might.
And do you know what else they might have?
Experience. Knowledge. Maturity.
Someone who has a hotmail account might be happy with it, and not see a need to change it.
Maybe that shows that they will be loyal.
Maybe they won’t try to fix things that aren’t broken.
Maybe they’ll spend their time focused on bigger issues.
Or maybe they’re afraid to try something new. Maybe they’re risk-averse. Maybe they are behind trends.
Who knows?
The choice of email account could indicate a lot of things is my point.
And if the person you’re hiring isn’t responsible for making the company’s tech decisions, does it really matter what kind of personal email account they use?
If everyone else working for you has gmail addresses, maybe someone with a hotmail address will add some much-needed cognitive diversity to your team.
With so many applicants, I understand that one has to narrow down the list.
But throwing someone away because of an email provider might be short-sighted, and, as the Kiwis would say, “stupid as.”
It may not weed out the people you think it does.
And “choosing violence” publicly over a person’s choice of email provider might make you come across as a dick, too.
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Beth Collier loves writing, pop culture, and New Zealand.
She also loves helping companies, leaders, and teams improve their communication (and creativity and leadership) through consulting, coaching, and workshops.
Her clients benefit from Beth’s global corporate experience, Midwestern practicality and enthusiasm, and an endless supply of pop culture references.
To find out how Beth can help you become a more confident, creative, and compelling leader – or improve communication in your company – visit www.beth-collier.com or drop her a line at beth@beth-collier.com
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